What is a typical workweek for a controller?
He/she starts work at a different time each day. The first workday is usually a swing shift in the South Tower with shifts getting earlier as the week progresses and alternating between the towers. The last day is usually an early day shift or a mid-shift (mid-shifts are staffed only in the South Tower). A typical schedule might be something like this: Monday 2 P.M. – 10 P.M., Tuesday 1 P.M. – 9 P.M., Wednesday either 11 A.M. – 7 P.M. OR 6 A.M. – 2 P.M., Thursday 6 A.M. – 2 P.M. OR 5 A.M. – 1 P.M., Friday 10 P.M. – 6 A.M. OR 5 A.M. – 1 P.M. Days off are determined by seniority. If you are talking to a controller on a Friday afternoon at Oakland, chances are he or she is at the start of their workweek, so don’t say, “have a good weekend.” Theirs is already over.
